After the end of World War II, the golden era of propeller-driven aircraft came to an end, and more advanced jet aircraft began to replace them en masse. However, in some niches, propeller driven aircraft are still relevant. For example, as training aircraft, which are equipped with modern aircraft engines. The machines of this class include the serially produced American T-6C TEXAN II and the Russian promising training aircraft Yak-152.
Since 2000, more than 900 such training aircraft of all modifications have been produced. The total flight time of Beechcraft T-6 Texan II aircraft has already exceeded 2.5 million hours, according to the manufacturing company. This only confirms the fact that the aircraft is actively used for initial flight training of pilots of the Air Force and Navy of the United States and other countries. The aircraft is actively promoted for export and is in demand in the global aviation market. On February 16, 2018, the first two Beechcraft T-6C Texan II turboprop trainers out of 10 ordered from the United States arrived at Wally Air Base in the UK.
Thus, the British Air Force has become the tenth operator of the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II family aircraft, serially produced in the United States by Beechcraft (currently this brand belongs to Textron Corporation). In addition to the United States and Great Britain, this trainer aircraft (TCB) is also used by Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Morocco, Greece, Israel, Iraq and New Zealand.
The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is a trainer aircraft that was created and produced by the American company Beechcraft, which until the end of 2006 was a division of the Raytheon Aircraft Company. Today Beechcraft is a division of Textron Aviation. At the same time, Beechcraft is known as a manufacturer of military and civil aircraft. They have always had a reputation for being very reliable machines, but at the same time they remained one of the most expensive in their classes.
The aircraft was created as part of the Joint Primary Air Training System (JPATS) program, its main purpose was to replace the aging T-37 and T-34 trainer aircraft, which were used by the US Air Force and Navy, respectively. Beechcraft specialists began work on the creation of a new aircraft back in 1990. The first two prototypes of the future TCB were created on the basis of another training aircraft Pilatus PC-9 Mk. II. Despite the fact that the plane was similar to its predecessor, in fact, it was a completely new machine. The first flight took place in December 1992 at the company's test site in Wichita.
On June 22, 1995, a new aircraft (then still under the designation Beech Mk. II) won a competition held by the US Department of Defense under the JPATS program. However, the launch of the aircraft into production and delivery to operational parts was delayed due to competitive disputes and bureaucratic problems. As a result, it was possible to start production only in February 1997, and the first aircraft was produced on June 29, 1998. The FAA certification of the new aircraft was completed in August 1999 after 1,400 hours of flight testing. In the same year, contracts were signed for the supply of 372 T-6 Texan II aircraft to the US Air Force and 339 aircraft to the US Navy. At the same time, contracts were obtained for the supply of 24 aircraft for the NATO Training Center located in Canada and 45 aircraft for the Greek Air Force. The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II was the successor to another famous American light trainer, the North American T-6 Texan, which was produced in series since 1937 and was actively used to train future fighter pilots until the 1950s.
Despite the external similarity with the Swiss training aircraft Pilatus PC-9, the American T-6 Texan II is a significantly redesigned design. American and Swiss aircraft share only 30 percent of the components and components in common. In particular, the T-6 Texan II received an elongated fuselage and a pressurized cockpit (the Pilatus PC-9 did not have pressurization). The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II trainer is a classic low-wing monoplane with retractable tricycle landing gear and a single turboprop engine. A sufficiently powerful Pratt & Whitney PT6A-68A theater was used as a power plant, developing a maximum power of 1100 hp. The aircraft crew consists of two people (trainee and instructor), who are located in a sealed two-seat cabin in a tandem configuration (sit one after another).
The onboard equipment of T-6C TEXAN II aircraft (the last of the existing versions, there are even earlier T-6A and T-6B) meets the requirements and standards of the XXI century - multifunctional three-color displays are installed in the cockpits, there are wide-angle indicators on the windshield, the so-called Head-Up Display system with F-16 or F / A-18, which is designed to display information on the windshield without restricting the pilot's view. All this made it possible to implement the principle of a fully digital, open architecture of the "glass cockpit" with an instrument panel for control and display of flight data (UFCP), a HOTAS (Hands-On Throttle And Stick) control system. Also, all T-6C aircraft are equipped with six underwing hardpoints, which can be used to mount outboard fuel tanks or various weapons. The maximum payload is about 1319 kg, the maximum flight speed of the vehicle is 585 km / h. The maximum flight range is 1637 km.
According to the assurances of the manufacturer, the aircraft can be effectively operated in a wide temperature range - from -54 ° C to + 50 ° C, this provides it with a fairly large geographical distribution in the world arms market. The company also reports that the aircraft's flight life has been increased to 18,720 hours. At the same time, the aircraft was tested, during which it demonstrated a threefold excess of this value - 56 160 hours.
In addition to direct training options, the Americans are also promoting a version of a light attack aircraft on the market, such machines are today classified as anti-guerrilla aircraft. This version received the designation AT-6 Wolverine. The aircraft received a modern optoelectronic sighting station, a self-defense complex, including an AN / AAR-60 missile warning station, as well as an AN / ALE-47 infrared trap and dipole reflector ejection device. In addition, the aircraft was able to use a wide range of different weapons. In addition to conventional free-fall bombs, the arsenal of such an attack aircraft includes unguided missiles and rifle containers. It can also use some samples of guided weapons - AIM-9 Sidewinder close-combat air-to-air missiles, AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles and Paveway guided aerial bombs. It is also possible to install separate containers with reconnaissance equipment.
Flight performance of the T-6C TEXAN II:
Overall dimensions: length - 10, 16 m, height - 3, 25 m, wingspan - 10, 2 m, wing area - 16, 28 m2.
Empty weight - 2336 kg.
Maximum take-off weight - 3130 kg.
The power plant is a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-68A theater with a capacity of 1100 hp.
The maximum flight speed is 585 km / h.
The maximum flight range is 1637 km.
The maximum ferry range is 2559 km (with two outboard fuel tanks).
Practical ceiling - 9449 m.
Maximum permissible overload: + 7.0 / -3.5 g
Number of suspension points - 6 (maximum payload - 1319 kg).
Operating temperatures: -54 ° C / + 50 ° C
Crew - 2 people.
